


A Black Cat

by raak (raak1101)



Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Reincarnation, Totally Not Copying the Movie Fluke, post true ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28905756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raak1101/pseuds/raak
Summary: Mari reincarnates as a black cat and makes her way back to Faraway, barely missing Sunny moving out. At least she has other familiar faces she can hang out with in the meantime.Takes place after True Ending.
Comments: 34
Kudos: 300





	1. A Black Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new fic. Inspired by one off comment I made in Discord about Mari reincarnating as a black cat. What originally was going to be a cute one shot is not a multi-chapter fic that's less cute and more that one '95 movie about the dad that reincarnates as a dog. (Fluke. The name of the movie is Fluke.)
> 
> Enjoy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A black cat appears from nowhere.

# Chapter 1: A Black Cat

* * *

A black cat stood in front of an empty house, a "Sold" sign hanging languidly in front of it under the summer sun. The cat was unsure of what to do. Most people wouldn't give a cat a second look. Even less in this town. They were such a common sight in Faraway, that the streets were veritably littered with both litter and clusters of cats. Or was that clowders of cat?

Glaring of cats?

The cat shook its head. Her head, she supposed. An entire life referring to animals with the pronoun it and now, finding herself on the other shoe, it felt demeaning. But then again, she wasn't your average cat. Something she learned dismayingly quick once she had enough sense of self to realize she wasn't normal.

She had memories. Fuzzy vignettes of what she eventually came to call a previous life. But they felt more vivid than mere pictures. Whenever they flashed in her mind, a sense of longing and sadness accompanied them.

It wasn't until she was… a year old? A year and a half? Maybe even two. She didn't pay much attention to time back then. Time for a street cat lacked meaning beyond when was the best time to filch food. But then, as the memories became clearer and her conviction grew, the meaning of time returned. Little by little, she pieced together her previous life. Like a puzzle that remained half done, a single piece being added only every few months. Blanks remained, but she remembered enough to figure out where to go.

She had once been a human girl. She lived in a place called Faraway, located at the far edge of nowhere… what a charming name. She had a human family. A mother. A father. A little brother. She couldn't remember either her or their names, but that mattered little. Most animals had no use for names. There were other miscellaneous tidbits: a piano, a group of friends whose faces were smudges in her mind, stairs. One particular detail she remembered with startling clarity was a sandwich. Maybe that was her favorite food back then?

There were a bunch of other errant thoughts, but the place and the family are what stood out to her the most. What pushed her to take on a journey that no cat has any business taking. Figuring out what car she could easily sneak into that would get her one step closer to her destination. Avoiding animal control and other pesky dangers like that. Figuring out how to procure food while on the road as a stowaway. There was a reason most animals didn't bother.

It was how she realized another thing: she was smart. Smarter than any cat has any right to be. That much was self-evident by her complicated internal monologues and how knowledge just seemed to pop up when needed: the meaning of a word, understanding of human speech, identifying objects, that sort of things.

There was some degree of communication with other felines and animals, but it was so painfully basic, relatively speaking, that spending any amount of time with other cats was a trial of patience. A test on how long she could stand being with other cats before she entertained the idea of walking into traffic and trying her luck on the next life, now that reincarnation was apparently a thing. That is, assuming the other cats didn't feel threatened by your presence and attacked you. When did she become so… morbid?

Maybe when she got reincarnated, rather than the pearly gates she was promised in Sunday school. Now there is a fun memory she could do without.

She sighed. At least cats can do that and while the purpose wasn't the same as human, she was hardly a normal cat. It's not that other cats were dumb. They could be surprisingly cunning and she had learned a thing or two about survival from them. But they were so simpleminded. No matter how many steps and manipulations other cats pulled to score their next meal, at the end of the day the goal - get their next meal – was always the same and superseded the means.

Humans wouldn't care about understanding their pets if they knew how basic those conversation would be. Or maybe they would. One of her memories was, ironically, owning a cat. She would love to be able to tell humans she would like chicken rather than tuna… again. She's sure some pet owners would jump at the opportunity to make their pet’s live more comfortable ever so slightly. Variety is the spice of life and being able to say what food you're in the mood for is a little thing that's taken for granted.

She wandered to the window and with a jump precariously balanced herself on the edge, peeking inside the house. A room that simultaneously felt familiar and not. She… should have expected this. She had caught the date on a discarded newspaper and had kept, more or less, a rough estimate of a timeline. It would be around four to five years after she… presumably died?

She was pretty sure she wasn't _that_ old. An amused huffed escaped her. Again, not a particularly catlike behavior, but she had come to terms with being some unfathomable amalgamation of a human and a cat. So why the amused huff? Because there was a delay in her presumed reincarnation and she couldn't help but think that whatever cosmic law managed such a metaphysical process was bungled down by some universal bureaucratic constant. It was an amusing thought.

She was a cat. She lacked opposable thumbs. So damnit, she was going to get whatever bit of joy she could muster.

Jumping off the window, she pondered her next action as she walked across the front of the house. If her death was as tragic as she suspected – and she wasn't just clinically insane and schizophrenic – it made sense her human family had moved. Pain was there to tell you what to avoid. What harmed you and represented danger. If being in this house hurt, you would want to move. And she desperately hoped she had been loved enough to be mourned.

Reaching the edge of the property, she glanced at the fence dividing the backyard from the front. On a whim, she ran and leapt over it, briskly making her way around the house. The backyard was trimmed and enviably green. A prickle on the back of her mind told her it was just like she remembered. With a skip to her steps, she quickly walked to the back, stopping in front of a stump with a single pink pinwheel carelessly spinning on the wind.

Has that always been there? She couldn't remember. Her memory wasn't perfect. Maybe there was a tree before. Maybe the stump. The pinwheel didn't look half a decade old, so she doubted that was there back then.

Whatever. It was an unimportant detail in the grand scheme of things. What drew her to the backyard wasn't that. She continued deeper into the trees that populated the backyard and soon stumbled upon what she was sure had instinctively called her here.

An old treehouse.

She looked warily at the wooden ladder leading into the wooden structured snuggled tightly to the wooden behemoth. God that tree looked tall. How do cats get stuck on trees again?

Steeling herself and claws at the ready, she approached the tree and began to climb, using the ladder as best as she could. As a human this would have been trivial, but as a cat it was nerve-wracking, even if it didn't take long to reach the top. Safely inside the tree, she took a few seconds to calm her nerves and look back down.

…How was she getting down? Is this how cats found themselves stuck on trees? Some shiny trinket catches their attention and next thing they knew they were looking down at a fall that looked downright terrifying? Maybe this is what they meant when they say curiosity killed the cat.

She'll cross that bridge when she gets there. For now, there was a treehouse begging to be snooped.

An immense wave of nostalgia hit her. Even abandoned and decrepit, a lot of the treehouse felt familiar. The low table where she was sure she spent countless hours playing cards with friends. The cartoon yellow cat peeking over a calendar four years past its expiration date. An old television which presence was ill-conceived at best. A fluffy, dirty pillow shaped like the head of a girl.

She took time to observe each and every object, hungrily devouring whatever little memory they jog inside of her. The memories remained a foggy, but every piece of her alleged past cleared the opaque veil little by little.

The last object sent a jolt to her system. A sad plushy, beaten up by time, its once vibrant and gaudy purple now dulled and dirty. The body was nondescript, but its head was the shape of a solemn eggplant.

What was its name again? It was something simple and silly. Mr. Eggplant? Eggman?

-o-

_“XXXXXX! I got you something~”_

_“You got me a gift? XXXX, you’re the best!”_

_“Now, close your eyes… ta-dah!”_

_“A plushie? It's so… weird and ugly… I love it!”_

_“I saw it while visiting the next town and thought of you. I’m happy you like it.”_

_“It reminds you of me?”_

_“Yep. Your full name means ‘eggplant’, so I bought you an eggplant!”_

_“…I don’t like my name…”_

_“Hahaha! Give it a name of its own!”_

_“Hmmm… I’m going to call you…”_

-o-

 _‘Mr. Plantegg,’_ she remembered bittersweetly. It truly was an odd stuffed toy; squat and stumpy with a weird face and a weirder sound when punched.

She placed a paw on its head and pushed. Nothing. Whatever mechanism it had to make it squeak had succumbed to the years.

The girl in her memory had loved this toy despite its squat and stumpy cute ugliness. She was odd like that. She remembered squeeing in delight every time she saw the carry Mr. Plantegg up and down, beyond happy a gift she picked – a gift her mother had been reluctant to buy – was so beloved by the girl.

Seeing the toy in such a state of abandon tugged at her heart. She wanted to cry, but couldn’t shed tears. So she mewled. A long draw out lament, heartrending even to her own ears. She curled up next to the stuffed toy – a toy she once could grab with one hand now a few inches shorter than her – and rested.

There was nowhere for her to go. She could lay down and sleep for a bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right. First chapter. Since this is a multi-chapter fic, gonna do my end-of-chapter rundowns. Let's do this:
> 
>  **CatMari** : Does whatever a cat can. It's hard to determine how Mari actually is, since all we have to go by is Sunny's simplistic interpretation from Headspace. But I get the feeling that Mari is someone who cares a lot for her friends, with a sassy streak to her.
> 
>  **This is awfully down-to-Earth** : Don't want to use the word realistic here. But yes. The original plan for this fic was to make it more ethereal. A black cat appearing to Sunny, maybe while he visits Mari's grave. But I began writing and I ended up with an Omori version of the movie/novel Fluke. I saw that movie when my first dog died, so it left an impression on me. Hopefully this more down-to-Earth works out. Less ethereal, more 'well crap... guess I'm a cat now.'
> 
>  **Mr. Plantegg** : I made Mr. Plantegg an accessory to melancholy. I am a monster and I wouldn't have it any other way.


	2. The Other Little Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where boy and girls meet cat.

# Chapter 2: The Other Little Brother

* * *

She was startled awake. The voice of someone grumbling could be heard outside the treehouse. But between the distance, volume, the slurring of the words, and her own sleep addled mind, she couldn’t understand a single thing.

The sound of feet climbing the ladder had her ready to jump at a moment’s notice. Worst case scenario, she jumps off the window onto a branch and becomes your typical ‘cat stuck on tree'. She just hoped Mr. Plantegg survives the ordeal. The weird toy brought her a sense of peace.

A woman made her way into the tree. A girl, really, with tan skin, a half-shaved haircut, and glasses with a red frame.

And grumbling. Lots of grumbling. She looked familiar, but that wasn't saying much in a town as small as Faraway.

"This place is a dump," the girl continued grumbling, looking around. "And there isn't even much to salvage. Everything here would be better off thrown to the thrash." Her eyes settle on the cat. "Except the cat, I guess…" she mumbled.

"What was that?" another feminine voiced asked from outside.

"This place is a dump," the girl repeated, loudly. "And there's a cat hugging a weird, creepy stuffed toy."

The head of a girl with bubblegum pink hair popped on the entrance. "Hey, Mr. Plantegg is not creepy." She finished climbing the ladder and entered the treehouse. "Weird and funny-looking, but not creepy." Her teal eyes focused on the cat. She felt familiar in a different way than the girl with glasses, but the cat couldn't quite place how. "Huh… a black cat. Must be one of the mangy strays from around town." Her eyes narrowed. "Though I don't recall ever seeing a black cat in Faraway besides Mewo."

She was not mangy! Does this girl realize how hard it's for a stray cat to look as good as she did? The nerves! She hissed, making sure the girl knew what she thought of being called 'mangy'. The satisfaction of seeing Pinky take a half-step back couldn't be understated. Serves her right.

Her indignation stopped as the last sentence the girl said caught up with her. Mewo? That was a familiar name.

After a moment a thinking, the memory came to her.

_A black cat on her laps, lazing contently as she petted it._

Was Mewo her pet cat? Wait… was she a black cat because she had a black cat in her previous life? If that was the case and it wasn't a coincidence, she silently offered her condolences to every person who died and owned a tarantula.

"I don't think it's from around here," Glasses said. "People overfeed the strays, so they're all kind of chubby. This one is pretty lean."

Pink looked at Glasses in surprise. "They do? Is that the reason this town is infested with cats?"

She narrowed her eyes. She decided right then and there that she wasn't fond of bubblegum girl and her insistence on treating her like a pest. Glasses tentatively extended her hand and reached for her. It didn't look like she intended ill, so she allowed it. And was subsequently rewarded by a gentle hand brushing her fur.

It earned Glasses a purr of approval.

"I didn't know you liked cats, Kim," Bubblegum commented. And now she even had a name to put to Glasses' face!

Kim shrugged. "Kinda. Mom doesn't. And with Vance and me bouncing between her and Dad, we cannot own one." She looked at the rest of the treehouse. "I don't see much here that's worth anything. Maybe the TV for parts?"

The pink-haired girl unmounted the calendar on the wall. "Kel insisted on getting our stuff back. For memory's sake. Even asked the new owners to let us into the property and make it legit. I'm trying to make peace here, so let's just humor him for a bit."

"And munch on his food," Kim pointed out.

It earned a snort from the other girl. "And munch on his food," she agreed.

Through the exchange, the cat got hung up on one name. Kel. She knew a Kel. She was one hundred percent sure. But she needed one last piece. A face to put to the name and clear her jumbled memory.

"Yo! Catch!"

Without warning, a basketball zoomed through the entranced and ricocheted dangerously around the treehouse. She had to jump away from the stuffed toy to avoid being squashed in one of those ill-fated bounces. Finally, the ball came to a stop in the middle of the wooden house.

…

"KEL, YOU MONKEY-BRAINED NINCOMPOOP! WHY THE HELL YOU BROUGHT YOUR BASKETBALL!? WHY YOU THREW IT!?"

A boy climbed the ladder and entered the treehouse. "I always have my basketball with me. What if I need to play? And I couldn't climb the ladder while holding it. Sheesh, and you say you're the smart one."

The girl gritted her teeth.

" Also… what's a nincompoop?"

Bubblegum's face suddenly became eerily expressionless. "That does it. I'm leaving. No amount of food is enough to make me deal with you without a buffer."

"Noooooo," the boy blocked the exit and raised his hands to placate the irate girl, a sheepish smile on his face. "I'll behave. Look, I brought a bag to put all the stuff in."

The girl glared at the tall boy, but relented and snatched the bag off the boy's hand, throwing the yellow cat calendar into it.

Kel… Kel… KEL!

-o-

_"XXXX, can I ask you a question?"_

_"Sure thing, Kel."_

_"Can you be my sister?"_

_"PFFTTT" *Cough cough*_

_"Ewww. Don’t spit apple juice on me!"_

_"W-what!?"_

_"I want a sister. And you are XXXXX's sister. So can you be mine?"_

_"O-oh, that's what you mean, hehe. What about XXXX?"_

_"He's my brother. I want a sister. It's not the same!"_

_"I see. Tell you what. I promise I'll be your sister in… let's say eight years?"_

_"That's too far away!"_

_"Trust me, I know. But if we are going to do this, we are doing it right! You don't want a second-rate sister, right?"_

_"No!"_

_"That's the spirit. But between you and me? I can treat you like a little brother. But shhh. We don't want the sibling police finding out."_

_"YES! I won't say a word!"_

_"Good boy."_

-o-

Before her mind realized what her body was doing, she left behind Mr. Plantegg and tackled the tall boy that had entered the treehouse with all the strength her light body could muster. It surprised everyone and the boy, Kel, instinctively caught her while she attempted to hug him, which translated into pawing at his chest.

Finally! A connection. A living, breathing connection to her imagined past! Proof she wasn't crazy, right? Proof that those memories were real!

"W-wow, calm down, little buddy. Is this cat yours?" Kel asked the two other female present, rocking the cat as if she was a baby in an attempt make her stop pawing and meowing like crazy.

"Nope. Found it here cuddling Mr. Plantegg. Kim thinks is not from Faraway. Apparently, it's not fat enough."

"Oh," Kel looked at Kim. "You're right. The cats in Faraway really are chunky from all the food people throw at them."

"Am I the only one who didn't notice this?"

Kel ignored Bubblegum in favor of grabbing the cat and bringing her to the level of his face.

She was close. Close enough to lean forward and rub her nose against his in what she hoped was interpreted as an affectionate gesture. From the smile on Kel's face, she seems to have succeeded.

"Aaah. Look! She likes me. I wonder if Mom will let me keep her."

Kim raised a brow. "You…"

"…want a cat?" Bubblegum finished. "I thought you were more of a dog person. What about Hector?"

Kel brought her to his chest, holding her securely. "Hehe. To be honest, Hector is more my brother's than mine. I love him to pieces, but Mom and Dad got him when I was too young to take care of him." He looked at her. "And besides, something feels… right about keeping her."

"Something feels… right?" the pink-haired girl asked, one eye-brow raised.

Kel nodded. "I know it's weird. I cannot really put it into words. But it's like… it would be wrong not to keep her. Like I'd be doing something unforgivable. You understand?"

Pinky sighed. "Not really. But if you want a cat, that's not my business."

"Hey… can I ask you a favor? If Mom doesn't let me have her, can you keep her until I convince Mom?"

What? NO! She didn't want to stay with What-her-face!

"I'm not keeping the cat, Kel," – at least she and Pinky agreed on something – "especially not with my pet bunny around." Pinky looked at her. "Besides… I don't think the stray likes me a lot, if the hisses and the glares mean anything."

Kel looked disheartened. It was a look that didn't fit him. "Ah, come on. I'm sure it was a misunderstanding. A bad first impression!"

"She did hiss at you after calling it 'mangy'," Kim muttered to her friend.

"See! You just offended her." Kel heaved her close to the pink-haired girl. "Apologize and make peace!"

"What? No. Get that thing away from me!"

"Come on, Aubrey. Apologize."

Her head snapped to the pink-haired girl. Carefully inspecting her. Her hair… which was black at the roots. And the eyes… that weren't uniformly green.

-o-

_"Pink!"_

_"You want to dye your hair pink?"_

_"What's wrong with pink?"_

_"Nothing! I'm just a bit surprised. I guess I expected you to pick a darker color. Also, your bow will get lost on your hair if you dye it pink."_

_"Oh… Then I'll buy another bow! Maybe… what's that color between green and blue? Like one of my shirts?"_

_"Teal? Though I suppose turquoise is more accurate given the brightness…"_

_"Yes! That! I'll by a bow that color and wear that."_

_"Haha, you thought of everything, Aubrey, didn't you?"_

-o-

How did she miss that? The outrage she felt towards the pink-haired girl – towards Aubrey – ebbed in an instant; replaced with painful ache. She… remembered a young girl whose black eyes shined with so much life. A girl that was always smiling. Unless Kel bothered her, but even then, her anger lacked any edge to it.

She didn't saw any of that in the pink-haired girl staring at her. Her eyes looked ever-so-slightly haunted. Her lips, which once upon a time smiled so widely and brightly that it was blinding, now looked like they barely remembered how to quirk upward. And while she recalled memories where Aubrey could snark among the best, now it looked like it was the only thing she could do.

"Ugh… I'm… sorry."

She… apologized. It looked like it took everything to do so – when it shouldn't have – but Aubrey apologized.

Now she felt bad for giving her a cold shoulder. Shimmying her way out of Kel's grasp, she jumped to the floor and made her way to Aubrey, who looked at her cautiously. She rubbed against the girl's leg. Not really a gesture meant to signify she accepts the apology, but she felt confident that's how it would be interpreted.

"See, she's forgives you! Smart girl."

Quod erat demonstrandum. Thanks, Kel.

"I still cannot take her in," Aubrey said. "I don't have the space for a cat and I don't feel comfortable keeping it in the same room as Bun-Bun."

Kel blinked. "You named your bunny Bun-Bun?"

"Focus, Kel." Aubrey, confident that she wasn't going to claw her hands, picked her up, scratching behind an ear. "Look, if you really want to keep this cat for whatever, probably stupid, reason you conjured, I'll help you out. Let's go with shock and awe. Just go ahead and say you're adopting a cat before your mom can even say no. I'll support you when she manages to get a word in."

Kel smiled widely. "Thanks, Aubrey. You're the best."

"Yeah, yeah," Kim interrupted. "Aubrey rules. She's the best. Can we clear this place? I really could do without the constant fear of falling through the floor."

Aubrey nodded, letting her back on the floor. She made her way back to Mr. Plantegg, watching patiently as the three teenagers cleaned the treehouse in no time, the only hiccup being when Kel suggested literally throwing the television out and hope for the best.

The feeling of giddiness bubbling inside made her entire journey to Faraway worth it.

-o-

"Mom, we're back!"

"Your son brings trash."

"Aubrey!"

"She's not wrong…"

"Kim!"

She was resting on Kim's arms, with Kel's and Aubrey's busy carrying the stuff from the treehouse. She looked around. The place looked more or less as she thought it should. What she could remember. Her roaming eyes stopped on a big photograph overseeing the room.

-o-

_"What's cookin', good lookin'?"_

_"I think that's the first time you have said that while I'm actually in the kitchen."_

_"Really? That just means I have to say it more, stud."_

_"I-I rather you… don't? You're setting a bad example for your little brother."_

_"Please. XXXXX is totally in cahoots with me. My own little wingman. Right, little brother?"_

_"XXXXX, don't give her a thumbs up!"_

_"Hehe…"_

-o-

Hero. Seeing his face, the name followed easily. Both names, but she doubted he'll be thrilled about being remembered as Henry, even if she thought it cute. He… would be in college by now, right? She remembered suggesting he became a chef. Did he follow on that? Or did he choose something else?

"Oh, you're just in time for dinner," a portly older woman said as she walked out from the kitchen. "I hope you don't plan on throwing all of that in the closet."

"Nothing like that," Kel was quick to assure his mother. "I'll go through it all and throw to the trash what I don't keep. I promise."

"Hmmm," his mother eyed him carefully. "Make sure you do."

"Sure thing," Kel gave a military salute. Then quickly scooped me from Kim's arms. "By the way, I'm adopting a cat."

His mother froze. "Come again?"

"I already have a list of all the things I need to buy. First thing tomorrow I'm going to Othermart."

"Kelsey."

"I already called the vet. I have an appointment Monday afternoon. Kim's dad has a truck and she said she and Vance don't mind driving us there."

"Kelsey."

"I still haven't decided on a name, but it'll come to me. Oh, and I already exposed Hector to her. They seem to get along well enough. In fact… Hector seemed ecstatic about her…"

"Kelsey."

"Wow, look at the time. Better go wash my hands. I'll leave her in my room in the meantime. See ya' in a sec."

"YOUNG MAN! YOU STAY PUT RIGHT THERE!"

Now it was Kel's turn to freeze, right leg hovering in the air midstep. From her place in his arms after he picked her up from a befuddled Kim, she looked up at Kel's face. The boy was sweating a veritable waterfall. She had the uncontrollable itch to lick the spots where a few drops reached her.

"What is this about a cat?" Kel's mom asked. A question so loaded it wouldn't have even reached to security in an airport; stopped at the front desk.

"We found a cat in the treehouse," Aubrey spoke up. Seems she was serious about aiding Kel. "It wouldn't stop following us, so Kel brought up the idea of one of us adopting it. Neither Kim or I can, so I suggested Kel to do it. With everything that happened lately… I thought he could use the company and added responsibility."

Her slitted eyes narrowed on the boy holding her. _'Everything that happened lately'?_ What does she mean?

Aubrey's word struck a chord with Kel's mom, whose face softened. "But what about Hector? You can take care of him."

"Mom," Kel said, shifting her on his arms so that his mother could have a better look. "Hector is Hero's dog. At least in the sense of taking care of him. I… would like something that's more mine, you know?"

His mother's internal conflict was clear as day. She wanted to say no, but whatever both Kel and Aubrey were alluding to stopped Kel's mother on her tracks."

Finally, she sighed and compromised. "We'll talk with your father when he gets home. For now, wash your hands and keep that cat locked in your room."

"Thanks, Mom," Kel said brightly, hastily making an exit towards the bedrooms, Aubrey and Kim following closely behind. Upstairs and out of his mother's earshot, he turned to look at Aubrey. "That was mean of you."

Aubrey shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?" Her face sobered up a bit. There was a tinge of genuine worry in there. "And… honestly Kel? How much of it is actually a lie? Because I cannot imagine any other reason for you to suddenly want to adopt a cat. You are not old enough for a midlife crisis."

"He is stupid enough for one, though," Kim pointed out.

"I guess," Kel muttered. "It doesn't feel like I'm trying to cope, but… maybe you're right."

Cope? Cope with what?

"About the coping," Kel added while glaring at Kim. "Not the stupid part." He opened the door to his room. "Ok, little missus. You stay here. Don't break anything, ok?"

She looked around the room. She didn't need to remember the room to figure out which side was Kel's and which was Hero's. She promptly made her way to Hero's bed and hopped on it. Curling on top of the pillow, she opted to continue the nap that had been interrupted earlier that day, enjoying what little fleeting scent was left of Hero in his bed.

There was a lot she wanted to ask, but couldn't. In the end all that was left was to let everything run its course and figured out the blanks in her memories as time went on.

-o-

She was rudely awakened by being grabbed and spun around. Courtesy of one Kelsey.

"That was amazing!" Kel said between laughs as he presented her to one other Aubergine, who looked decidedly unimpressed. "Aubrey, you should totally be, like, a super lawyer."

Looking around, that Kim girl was absent. Maybe she went home?

"Was it necessary to tack the 'super' in there?" Aubrey muttered sourly.

Looking into Aubrey's stoic teal eyes, she idly wondered if they sold a sour variant of the stereotypical bubblegum. Because that'd be definitely the type of chewing gum this Aubrey would be.

"Didn't you hear yourself?" Kel said. "You plucked at their heartstring like a virtuoso. Played them like a one thousand dollar fiddle!"

"How long did it take you to come up with those metaphors?"

"The entire last half of dinner." The pride in Kel's words was tragically misplaced. "I'm serious. You should study something where you convince people for a living."

"Like a lawyer?" Aubrey said, calling back to Kel's words.

Kel stopped and seriously thought over what he said. "Actually… nah. You need to be lawful to be a lawyer, right?"

Aubrey opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again.

She blinked her feline eyes. It struck her as odd. Was Aubrey… a delinquent? When she had proposed dyeing their hair, it wasn't so she could join a gang!

"I was thinking scam artist."

"Kel…" Aubrey lamented. "Just… focus on the cat."

"Right!" Kel raised her above their heads. "Welcome to the family… er… we need a name."

"What?" Aubrey snark with crossed arms. "You didn't use the first half of dinner to come up with one?"

Kel averted his eyes. "Well… every time I think of a name, I always end up on the same one-"

"Then name it that!" Aubrey snapped. "It's a cat, not your firstborn! I can name it for you if you like."

"NO!" Kel was quick deny Aubrey. "We are not naming it Cat-Cat."

"What!? I was not going to-"

"Or Kit-Kit!"

"Kel…" Aubrey growled.

"And definitely not Pus-Pus."

"Ugh. You are so childish! Fine. What was this name of yours?"

Kel's guilt came back in full force. She noticed his grip on her tighten. What was he thinking of naming her?

"Promise you won't get mad…" he meekly pleaded at Aubrey, uncharacteristically.

"If it's something gross, I'll-"

"It's not," Kel quickly reassured the girl. "But… just promise me you'll take this seriously."

Something must have shown on Kel's face, because Aubrey quickly sobered up and nodded, her short temper towards Kel on pause. The three of them stood (or hanged on Kel's arms, in her case) in silence; Kel shifting nervously, Aubrey waiting patiently, and her stuck being a cat, afraid to do anything that would bring unwanted attention to her. She had no desire to try and explain as a cat who she thought she was. Especially when she couldn't even remember her name.

"Well?" Aubrey prompted. "Just spill it out."

Kel sighed. Looked up. Whatever trace of humor was gone from his face.

"Mari."

-o-

_"Mari."_

_"Mari!"_

_"Mari?"_

_"M-Mari?"_

_"Mari…"_

-o-

Her head perked up. There was something to be said about the power of names. Of all the things she has experienced, hearing a name she once knew never failed to dig out those memories she so desperately craved.

Mari. That was her name. Had been her name. A few seconds ago she wouldn't have cared what Kel named her, convinced her old name was a relic of a life gone by. As a cat, names held very little meaning. But now? After hearing her own name?

She wanted it. She wanted it so badly. Badly enough that she would risk her silent secret for it.

"Meow!"

Both teenagers looked at her. She had been mostly silent since they met, so hearing her meow must have startled them.

Aubrey was the first to recover. She breathed in deeply, visibly forcing herself not to explode and berate her friend. With her face carefully neutral, she said, "Kel… you cannot call her Mari-"

"Meow!"

Another pause on the conversation, Aubrey blinking at her owlishly. She continued.

"I… don't know if this is your way to come to terms with… everything. But I hope I don't have to point out what a bad idea this would be and how distasteful it sounds. What will you tell your family… what will you tell Hero, when he hears you named your cat Mari?"

"Meow!"

"I know is a dumb idea," Kel said. "But… I don't know. Every time I try to think of another name, I just come back to that."

Rather than meowing, she tilted her head. On one hand, she was beginning to understand what Kel was coping with. But… hasn't Mari – her – died years ago? Kel should have already grieved properly, right?

On a more pressing matter, it had to be coincidence, right? There was no way a part of Kel could tell she was 'Mari'. Or at least that she thought she was her. Then again, the notion of reincarnation was already a tough pill to swallow. Who's to say there isn't a greater, mystical power at play?

"Can you help me decide another name? If you leave it to me, I'll just end up naming her Mari."

"Meow."

Aubrey dragged her hands down her face. "Mari…" – "Meow" – "…I cannot believe you actually thought of calling the cat Ma-" – "Meow" – 'WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT!? WHY DOES IT KEEP MEOWING!?"

"I dunno." Kel brought her face to face with him. "Are you hungry, girl?"

She was, but that wasn't important right now. She was a feline with a mission.

"Forget it." Aubrey looked like she was beginning to house a migraine. "Just name it anything but Mari."

"Meow."

Kel narrowed his eyes. "I think she's responding to the name."

"Kel… it's a cat. They think we are the pets and they dream about world domination."

"I'm serious!" Kel glanced at Aubrey, before refocusing on her. "Mari."

"Meow."

"Mari."

"Meow."

"Kelsey"

"…"

"Aubrey."

"…"

"Mari."

"Meow."

"Miss Pus-Pus."

"Kel, I will hit you."

"…"

"Mari."

"Meow."

"See!" Kel pushed her towards Aubrey, who was now looking at her warily. "I think she likes the name."

"…Tell you what," Aubrey said slowly. "If you can convincingly prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the cat wants to be named that, not only I will accept it and help you when your brother inevitably tries to use you as a body to practice surgery, but I will cover your tab at Gino's until we both turn eighteen, ok?"

"Hehe, you're on!" Kel placed her on the floor. "Listen up, Miss Cat. This is very important. My pocket money and all future pizza expenditures depends on it. Do you understand?"

She couldn't help herself. With all the gravitas that statement didn't merit, she nodded, her face the epitome of seriousness. At least for a cat. And to Aubrey's consternation. She was playing a dangerous game, but this was too important to her. And to Kel.

Pizza is serious business.

"Ok,". Apparently Kel saw nothing wrong with a cat nodding at him. He had always been simple like that. "I need you to meow, hiss, and purr, in that order, if you want to be called Mari."

…He was simple like that. Pushing the boundaries of the natural order of things with his simplicity. Playing at things better left alone for the sole reason that he didn't know any better. Kel's life was a string of simultaneously tragic and serendipitous happenstances.

But she wouldn't allow that to stop her.

"Kel, you idiot. There's no way she understood-"

"Meow. Hisssssssss, Purrrrrr."

…

Aubrey turned around and headed towards the door, only stopping to pick up Mr. Plantegg from the trash bag with all the treehouse stuff.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kel called.

With a hand on the knob, Aubrey turned to look at Kel and…

"Goodnight, Kel. Goodnight… Mari." She left the room.

…

"All right!" Kel smiled toothily, pumping a fist. He began petting her. "You're pretty smart."

Mari preened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Rundown!**
> 
> **Glasses and Pinky** : I was pulling my hair by the end trying to avoid saying their names. Hopefully the point came across.
> 
>  **Kel, Master of Bad Ideas** : This fic already deals with the supernatural, so what's one more thing. Making Kel associate the cat with Mari, even if only at a subconscious level, saves the trouble of calling Mari something like Abigail and constantly fight muscle memory. It also introduces a point of conflict later down the line.
> 
>  **Aubrey and Kel** : Assuming Aubrey makes an effort not to distance herself from her friends after the good ending, I imagine Kel would be, ironically, the easiest to get along. Kel's comparatively lack of baggage makes him a good rock to anchor Aubrey.
> 
>  **Mari and Kel** : We don't know much about how Mari interacts with Kel. The little flashback is based on how Kel is super excited about having a sister in Sally. I can imagine he looking at Mari spoiling Sunny and being envious.
> 
>  **Bun-Bun** : This is the text that appears when you interact with Aubrey's bunny pet. Probably unrelated, but I'm taking it to mean this is the bunny's name… Actually, since it's written BUN-BUN (all uppercase) it might actually be its name.
> 
>  **Mari is smart** : What would you do if a cat comes up to you and starts playing a game of Charades, telling you they are your dead friend? That's a fine line Mari is walking.


	3. These Lazy Fridays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where cat becomes a therapist

# Chapter 3: These lazy Fridays

* * *

Being a cat brought with it a litany of disadvantages. To begin with, she was constantly fighting with those pesky instincts that, as a human, you don't really pay much attention to since that's all you've ever known. But with a new perspective, you couldn't help but notice them.

Bleh, hairballs.

Another disadvantage was the more restrictive diet. She was lucky Kel and family had always been the kind to throw Hector a bone or two – literal and otherwise – whenever they were cooking. She got into that stalking action and could finally understand why animals did it.

Variety is the spice of life and there was only so many times she could eat cat food all day, every day. And it wasn't only that. Some things she took for granted, like chocolate, were also out of the menu. It was… no. Screw putting it nicely. It sucked. Bad.

But there was something that sucked even more. The lack of opposable thumbs. Never mind fingers. More than once she wished she had the faculties to grab an object and chuck it at Kel. Four years hadn't been enough for him to outgrown some of his bad habits, like living in that half-mess he calls a room or eating loudly.

But it wasn't all bad. There were things she could only enjoy as a cat. And right now, she was enjoying her favorite.

Sleeping.

Sleep during the night. Laze in the morning. Power nap at noon. Nap properly in the afternoon. And catch some z's in the evening before calling it a day and going to sleep at night. Call her lazy if you must, but her entertainment options were woefully limited. Even ignoring the lack of opposable thumbs, there just wasn't much she could do without drawing unwanted attention to herself. Not with Kel's mother and his little sister roaming the house 24/7.

And she couldn't bother Kel into playing with her for one simple, stupid reason. He was a teenage boy with teenage responsibilities. Better known as high school. She just had to arrive to Faraway at the beginning of the school year. Lucky her.

So, she slept, making herself comfortable on her favorite spot on Hector's back, the dog snoozing peacefully below her. She was convinced Hector knew her. Or at least knew he ought to know her. He was way too friendly and would constantly trail behind her. Sometimes he would arrive with his squeaky ball in mouth, dropping it at her feet so she could swat it away for him to chase. A terribly human-dog behavior for Hector to have with a cat.

If Kel's mom, dad, and sister thought it weird, they didn't show it. Then again, his sister was too young to understand it was weird. And she was pretty sure his parents were still in shock that their son would name a cat 'Mari', of all things.

She was simultaneously dreading and looking forward to Hero's reaction. She always enjoyed messing with him, relentlessly teasing and getting him flustered. She wanted to do that again… but was afraid he wouldn't be nearly as amused by a cat named after his not-quite girlfriend. They never got to making it official, did they?

Damnit. Now she was making herself sad. Where was Kel's suffocating optimism when you needed him?

The front door slammed open.

"Mom! Sally! I'm home!"

'Kel!' Mari silently cheered. Then was dropped to the floor like a sack of potato.

'No! Hector!' She cried to herself. Betrayed by her own bed, for the sin of no longer being part of the dog's best friend race. The inhumanity of it all!

"Hey there, Hector," Kel crouched to animatedly pet the dog. "How you doing, boy? Getting along with Mari, I see."

She was picked from the floor by the hyperactive boy. "Hey there, Mari. Being as lazy as ever, I see."

"Meow," she deadpanned. But hopefully Kel would get the message: It's been two weeks. Hardly enough to be called 'ever'.

"Oh, I bought you something!" He placed her on the sofa's armrest, proceeding to search in a grocery bag he had brought with him. Did he buy her a toy? Maybe a squeaky mouse? She would have preferred a book, but she supposed she could drag Hector with her to the kitchen and have both of them lay on the floor, belly up, rhythmically squeezing their toys to annoy and/or creep out Kel's mom.

Joy was found in the little things.

"Here it is! What do you think?"

She tilted her head. It was… a harness. A cat-sized harness. With a leash and all.

…

Right… pet cats need those if they want their owner to let them out. Otherwise, they just run away. She mentally cursed every cat in existence and their need for independence. Couldn't they be happy with a roof over their head? Like Hector! He doesn't mind.

She sighed. And immediately thanked God she did that awfully human gesture in front of Kel and not anyone else. The boy goofily looked at her with blinking eyes. Whether amused or confused by her sigh, only God knew. She wasn't convinced Kel himself knew.

"If you wear this, we can go to the park."

…She liked the park. At the very least, Kel had the decency of buying a purple harness.

-o-

"Ok, Mari. I'm going to throw the ball, you fetch it, and I'll give you a treat."

…How could she not tease Hero to an early grave about his brother's… peculiarities? There was definitely something to be said about a boy teaching a cat with the mind of a girl how to play fetch like a dog. And she wasn't entirely convinced it was something good.

"You don't look like you want to play," Kel smiled dropped. Her heart clenched. Anything but a smile really did look wrong on the boy. She supposed she could humor him. There was only one issue.

She looked at the leash, then at Kel. Then at the leash again. And finally meowed for good measure.

"Oh! Right," Kel laughed sheepishly. "Guess I need to take off your leash so you can fetch. Promise you won't run away."

…She was beginning to remember why Kel was only allowed to have a rock as a pet. As endearing as his trust and positive vibes were, that lack of common sense was the reason he butted heads with Aubrey more often than not.

Wonder what Aubrey's doing.

"Raise your paw and swear you won't run away."

She huffed in amusement and did as told. Anyone else and they might begin suspecting foul play. But Kel?

"Good girl," he began unclasping the leash. "I knew you were smart."

If she could, she would smirk. Good ol' 'Always plays rock' Kel. Anyone else might wonder how she was so smart. But not Kel. He would take it at face value. A simple soul that didn't need cumbersome explanations. She was glad it was Kel who adopted her. She probably wouldn't be able to pull off half the stuff she could living with anyone else.

"NOW FETCH!"

Oh… wow. That was an impressive throw. She knew Kel was athletic, but she had forgotten exactly how athletic. Hmmm, how to approach this… She could just go and fetch it, but where's the fun in that? People were watching. She needed to make them question their sanity. Squeeze all enjoyment she could.

Run like a dog for the ball? Nah. She wasn't one for intense bursts of exercise before and she isn't now. Maybe take her time, jumping from cover to cover as if tailing a target? Mmmm, not really her style.

She got it! She went after the ball, giving a bit a lilt to her steps, sure to catch the attention of any onlooker. On her way, she meowed a greeting to another cat, to a toddler, and to some kids playing basketball. Reaching the ball, she brushed some of the dirt off. Satisfied, she picked it up and made her way back, making sure to salute again. Reaching Kel, she dropped the ball and stood proudly, chest up front and face held high.

And pointedly ignore the baffled looks of everyone watching a cat fetch a ball in such a preposterous manner. But in the inside, she was a giggling mess. She missed messing with people like this. There was a high to playing people like a fiddle. Not dissimilar to playing an instrument.

She was pretty sure she used to play an instrument.

"Good girl," Kel praised her, kneeling to pet her head. "Here's your treat."

"Yo, Nerd!"

Both she and Kel swiveled their head to meet a familiar girl with red-trimmed glasses.

"Hey, Kim," Kel greeted back, unaffected by the insult. "What's up?"

"That's what I want to ask you," she pointed and poked Kel on the chest. "What did you do to Aubrey this time?"

Mari looked at Kel. Did they fight? Again?

"I haven't done anything," Kel defended himself with indignation. "I haven't spoken to Aubrey since the treehouse."

Mari winced. That… wasn't accurate. Kel did exactly one thing that would merit Aubrey reacting negatively and it lined up with that timeline.

He adopted a cat and named her 'Mari'. And it was clear her death was a sore topic. She wasn't complaining, but Mari wouldn't hold it against Aubrey if the pink-haired girl wanted to avoid Kel for the time being.

"Well, she's not leaving her house, claiming that she's 'busy'." Kim air quoted.

"Ok, I know this might sound crazy, but… maybe she's busy?"

Kim rose an eyebrow. "Have you seen her house?"

Kel shrugged. "I don't know what you girls do on your spare time."

Mari nodded sagely. Their reputation as the fairer sex hanged on the balance. If men began to understand them, civilization as they knew would crumble.

"This is why you don't have girlfriend," Kim said unimpressed.

Kel blinked and looked dumbfounded. "Really? I thought it was because boys are expected to ask girls out. And since I'm not trying…" He let the implications of his words trail off.

'That was… surprisingly insightful,' Mari thought. Sure, she would have liked he had picked up a page or two from her and Hero's past relationship – because Hero sure as hell didn't make the first move – but she supposed it wasn't Kel who needed that lesson. Does Aubrey have a boyfriend?

"That's a very archaic way to look at relationships," Kim pointed out.

Kel shrugged. "But am I wrong?" He asked. "If you know a girl that's interested, you have my permission to tell her to ask me out. But until then, I stand by what I said: I don't have a girlfriend because I'm not actively looking for one. What does this have to do with Aubrey, anyways?"

Mari narrowed her eyes and carefully read Kel's expression. Genuine confusion. Drats! She had betted on Kel crushing on Aubrey, what with his insistence of antagonizing her. Who knows? Maybe he did and just didn't like present day Aubrey. She would be lying if she said she was thrilled about delinquent Aubrey.

"Point is, Aubrey began acting weird after you kept that cat." Kim looked down at Mari. The girl with glasses knelt to pet her, and Mari let her.

Inspecting the collar Kel had bought Mari, and the tag hanging from it, Kim frowned. "Mari… you seriously named the cat 'Mari'?"

"You know who Mari is?"

Kim rolled her eyes. "I AM Aubrey's best friend. That isn't a thing you don't share with your best friend." She narrowed her eyes. "So you DID do something. Didn't you think how Aubrey would react to naming your cat after a dead girl."

"The cat choose the name!"

Mari hissed at Kel. Do not drag her into his ill-conceived ideas… even if he was right.

"Look, just… do something," Kim said, genuine worry on her voice. "You know how Aubrey gets."

Kel sighed. "Fine. Let's try tomorrow," he offered. "Maybe she really is busy and this is nothing. You know, avoid making a mountain out of an ant hill."

It was clear Kim wasn't 100% convinced, but she relented. "Fine. I'll visit Aubrey tomorrow morning and if she doesn't respond, you have to talk to her."

And so, Kel and Kim formulated a plan.

A plan Mari had no intention to follow.

-o-

First step of her grand master plan: avoid going back into the house. If she was locked inside, she wouldn't be able to leave. So, as soon as she and Kel got back, she made a dash for Hector's dog house and refused to come out, despite Kel's best attempt. Thankfully, Hector was a big help, serving as a big obstacle and content sharing his home with her.

"Come on, Mari," Kel whined. "That's Hector's house. You like Hero's pillow, right? Don't you rather sleep there?"

Tempting. Very tempting. But she wasn't about to be swayed with honeyed words and generous bribes. She shrank further into the corner of the dog house, looking warily at Kel's head as the boy looked back from outside the shelter.

"Do you want to stay with Hector today?"

How does Kel make these leaps in logic? Seriously, there has to be a limit, right? Was he always this easygoing? Whatever the case might be, there was no denying it works to her benefit. She nodded and scooted closer to Hector, who watched the exchanged with dog-like fascination: understanding nothing, but happy to be included.

Kel sighed. "Fine, you can stay tonight with Hector. But that means you have to take a bath tomorrow, ok?"

Ha! Jokes on him. She loves bathes.

The dog house smelled like… well, dog. Not pleasant, but sacrifices needed to be made. Climbing to her favorite spot on Hector's back, she made herself comfortable. Now it was time to play the waiting game… She will need that bath tomorrow, though.

-o-

She waited a good couple hours after movement in the house waned. It wouldn't do for Kel to catch her. Though she wasn't convinced Kel would do anything about it. The boy was too carefree for anyone's good.

She pranced around the neighborhood. She knew Aubrey lived close by. But that was as far as her memory got her. So she wandered. Taking in the serenity of a little town at the edge of nowhere called Faraway. It truly was beautiful. Eerie, but beautiful.

It took her an hour to stumble upon something that sparked a memory. A house teeming with plant life, well in its way to being more plant that house. An exaggeration, perhaps, but she recalled teasing the resident of said house with that. What was his name? She wracked her brain for a couple of minutes, but ultimately shrugged as best as she could.

She had gotten this far. She was in no hurry. The name will come with time. They always did. That wasn't important now. What was important, however, was that she remember another useful tidbit.

This house and Aubrey's were on the same street. And since she hadn't recognized Aubrey's house yet…

She quickly made her way forwards, crossing the road, each step bringing her closer to remembering.

Then she found it. Her jog slowed to a stop. Surprised overtook her. This… this couldn't be right. She stood in front of a depilated house. Trash littered the front lawn, overgrown from lack of care. Paint peeled off the house, leaving patches exposed to the outdoors. And… was one of the windows broken?

This couldn't be Aubrey's home. It just couldn't. And yet…

A dim light glowed through the gap of the open front door. The flickers and shifts in hues, alongside the soft noise that accompanied it, suggested it was from a television. Why was the door opened? In the end, it mattered little. It was a convenient; saved her the trouble of figuring out how to enter… or trying to squeeze through broken glass. That didn't sound fun.

The inside of the house was even worse. The floor was less floor than trash, with clearly delineated pathways allegedly used by the inhabitants. Though Mari had a hard time believing anyone could live in these conditions. She wasn't convinced the flesh slob residing on the couch was alive. Was that Aubrey's mother? Admittedly, Mari never held the highest regards for the woman, but… not like this.

She carried onward, towards the bedrooms. Except the pathways didn't go to the bedrooms Did the flesh slob sleep in the sofa? She ignored the bathroom. If this was the rest of the house, she dreaded to even imagine the state of the bathroom. Instead, she slowly made her way up to the attic. Another oddity. Weren't attics normally kept closed?

Walking into the attic was like going through the threshold to another world. It was clean. No pathways made of trash and dirt. No wallpaper that would be better served on the business end of a flamethrower. It was just… clean. Why was clean the oddity? This was all wrong.

She carefully took in everything. The cage on the side, the hamper on a corner, the sparse furniture, the Captain Spaceboy poster. All that was background noise. Her real target laid on the bed, sitting cross-legged, her full attention on a bundle of fur currently scuttling across the mattress.

Aubrey was despondent. That much was evident. Mari hated that expression on her face. Was it because of her? Because she had insisted on reclaiming her name? Not that Mari could blame her. As far as Aubrey knew, she was just a stray Kel picked up and named insensitively.

She stood silently, thinking of a way to fix things. Nothing came up. So she did was had worked out so far. With a running start, she leapt to the bed, startling both of its current tenants.

"What the-" Aubrey yelped. The rabbit, instead, ran to hide in the empty space formed by its owner's crossed legs.

"You're Kel's mangy stray!"

Mari hissed. She was NOT mangy. Satisfied with her rebuke, she proceeded to lick her leg. Hygiene was important, after all.

"How did you get in?" Aubrey slapped her own face. "Mom let the door open again, didn't she?"

The rabbit meekly peeked out of the safety Aubrey provided, now intrigued by the new, strange interloper. Mari returned the curiosity. When had Aubrey gotten a bunny? What was its name? Can she pet it?

She lowered her head to meet the rabbit eye to eye. She was rewarded with the critter crawling towards her and sniffing her nose. It tickled.

"…Did Kel sent you?"

Mari met Aubrey's eyes. They were fearful. That still didn't save her friend from the flattest stare she could muster.

"Yeah, that’s a dumb question. What are you doing here?"

Mari considered the best way to approach Aubrey. To let her know that she shouldn't feel bad about the whole situation. That there was no mistake.

Convince Aubrey to accept her.

Mari made her way to Aubrey, who looked apprehensive. But Aubrey didn't move. Mari took the chance to appropriate the spot the rabbit had once occupied. Tough luck; finder, keepers, losers, weepers. Or that was the plan, except said bunny followed her and forced a spot next to her. Cheeky, little thing.

Aubrey sighed and began petting both her and the bunny. "You are unbelievable."

Mari agreed. She was pretty unbelievable. In so many ways.

"I cannot believe Kel named you after her. Or that you chose that name. Can you really understand me?"

Mari didn't answer. Not even a purr, despite the immense urge of succumbing to Aubrey's affection.

"This is ridiculous. You're a cat." Not wrong. "You picking Mari as your name was a fluke. Put enough monkeys with typewriters in a room and one of them will eventually write Macbeth."

"Meow." She was not letting that slide.

Aubrey lightly swatted her head. "Not falling for that." Aubrey leaned back against the bed's header. "Kel is an idiot, but…" she closed her eyes. "…he deserves to grieve. I… I don't think he ever grieved properly. Always so damn happy, like if ignoring the issue meant it didn't happen. If calling you Mari or whatever helps him… then I support him. Begrudgingly." She stopped petting and looked at her. "Does Kel know you're here?"

Mari raised her paw and patted Aubrey's hand. The petting continued.

"Great… I'm waking up at Kel-o-clock in the morning, aren't I?"

Mari purred. She cuddled with the bunny, who returned the affection.

"Glad you like Bun-Bun. Not many chances for him to play. Hey… do you mind if I talk about Mari, the person, with you?"

Mari's ears perked. She looked up at Aubrey.

"It's just… this is dumb, but I like talking to Bun-Bun about these things. But I think I'm boring him."

Mari blinked. She looked at Bun-Bun. He was snoring lightly. Huh…

"I know it's effectively talking to myself, but… I feel it helps a bit. Let me tell you about your namesake."

Mari listened intently. At how much she missed her. At how everything changed when she left. How much pain her death caused. But… she was here now. And although she couldn't tell them everything is fine now, she will be there to help them however she can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrite! Finally got around to finishing this chapter. This fic lies in a distant spot in my priority list, but it is in the list. Anyhow. I don't have much to say in this chapter other than I find it amusing for Mari to create a rapport with the animals of Faraway.
> 
> One of the things I must consider is how much Mari knew about the things we see in the game. Like, we know about Aubrey's home life. But did Mari know? Was her home life _that_ bad back then?
> 
> In that last scene, I pulled a bit of inspiration from by entry in the therapy collab, as well as my insistence that Mari loved teasing and pranking people. I'm dying on this hill.


End file.
